Transporting or landing device.



G. H. BOWMAN. TRANSPORTING 0R LANDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1913.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEE1' l.

COLUIIIA WRAP" 00.. 1mm u. c.

F. v 9 2 w O. H. BOWMAN. TRANSPORTING OR LANDING DEVICE.

AYPLIGATION IILED NOV. 10, 1913.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

4 By I i' fiz'zormgy,

I I X UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. BOWMAN, 0F HAGERS'IOWN, MARYLAND.

TRANSPOR'IING OB LANDING DEVICE.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES H. BOWMAN, a'citizen of the United States, residing at .l-lagerstown, in the county of \Vashington and State of Maryland, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Transporting or Landing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a transporting o-r landing device particularly designed for use upon the tenders of the locomotives of railway trains, whereby the engineer, fireman, brakeman or other member of the train crew or railroad employee may, with safety, land from the train at any suitable point while the train is running at a greater or less speed.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the character and for the purpose stated which may be mounted upon the tender of the locomotive and which will enable a trainman to land at any suitable point along the line of the road without stopping the train.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described whereby the operation of the elements of the device may be easily, conveniently and safely controlled.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in sec tion, showing the apparatus as arranged in position upon a locomotive tender; Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the anchor weight receptacle, showing the receptacle in normal position; Fig. 3 is an elevational view showing the receptacle released and tilted to discharge the weighted end of the track cable; Fig. a is a plan section of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a horizontal transverse section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a detail section showing the brake device; and Fig. 8 is a side elevation illustrating the operation of the apparatus in landing a passenger from a traveling locomotive.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a locomotive and 2 its tender, upon one side of which latter is arranged a conical casing 3 containing a drum or reel, about which is wound a track cable 5, the free end of which extends over suitable guide pulleys 6 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 10, 1913.

Patented Feb. 3,1914.

Serial No. 800,118.

in said casing and thence passes outwardly through the contracted mouth thereof. The casing is suitably fastened in position upon the tender so as to overhang one side thereof, and the shaft 7 of the drum or reel is preferably provided With an angular end 8 whereby a crank handle or the like may be attached thereto for winding the cable thereon.

The free end of the cable extends outwardly and rearwardly along the adjacent side of the tender over a guide pulley 9 carried by a bracket arm 10 and has attached to its extremity a. desired number or series of anchor weights 11. The weights 11 and the cable extremity to which they are attached are normally inclosedwithin a receptacle 12 having a hinged lid or cover 13, said receptacle being pivotally mounted upon a bracket 14 and provided at its upper end with a retaining arm 15 having an eye 16 at its free end adapted to register with a keeper eye or loop 17 on the side of the tender, through which eyes and loop a latch bolt 18 passes, thus normally holding the receptacle in an upright position.

The lid 13 is normally held closed by gravity and a notch or recess 19 is provided in the upper edge of the receptacle for the outward passage of the cable 5, whereby under normal conditions the Weighted end of the cable is held within the receptacle, but when the latch 18 is retracted the receptacle 12 is released and tilts downward by gravity, as shown in Fig. 3, in which action the lid 13 opens and the weighted end of the cable is dropped by gravity on to the ground at a side of the track, the weight serving as an anchor to hold the dropped end of the cable from being dragged forward, so that in the travel of the locomotive the cable will unwind from the drum or reel.

The passenger to be landed from the train enters a car or traveling receptacle 2O having a door 21 for the entrance of the passenger, which door may be locked in closed position by a suitablelatch device 22operable from the inside. At its upper end the car is provided with a conical portion 23-, formed of a frame work with a meshing of wire gauze to permit free ventilation. The said top portion of the car is provided with a hanger loop 24 in which is journaled a Wheel or pulley 25, through which loop and beneath which pulley the cable 5 extends, by which a wheeled trolley is provided for the travel of the car upon the cable when the latter is launched from the locomotive, as shown irr Fig. 8. The upper end of the trolley loop is provided with an eye 26 for engagement with a bracket arm 27, by which the car is supported in position upon the locomotive tender, said eye being held from displace ment by a hook shaped latch 28 pivoted to the bracket arm and provided with a crank 29, to which is attached a releasing cord or cable 30 extending downwardly into the car, by which the person within the car may release and launch the car for travel. upon the cable. The latch 18 is normally held projected by a spring 31 and a releasing cable 32 is attached thereto and extends downwardly and rearwardly from a guide pulley 33 within the car, so that the passenger may also release the bolt 18 prior to the release of the latch 28 to launch the cable and car at properly timed intervals.

It will. be understood from me foregoing description that a trainman desiring to de scend to the ground from a train enters the car 20 and closes the door thereof and then, at a point where the nature at the ground is favorable for landing, pulls upon the cord 32 and retracts the bolt 18, thereby releasing the receptacle 12 which drops down and trees the weighted end of the track cable 5, the weights 11 resting upon the ground and anchoring the cable against movement while the train continues to travel. the cable quickly unwinding from the reel. After a suitable length of cable has paid out, the operator then pulls the releasing cord 30 thereby releasing the latch 28 and allowing the trolley of the car 31 to run off the arm 27 and travel down the inclined cable until the ground is reached, whereupon the operator will open the door 21 and leave the car or receptacle 20. The drum or reel may then be wound to again wind up the cable and return the car to the tender, although if desired the cable may be allowed to reel out until. wholly detached from the reel. so that it will drop down upon the ground. the car and cable being gathered and stored away for future use. A number of cars and launching cables may be carried by the locomotive if desired, for use at intervals when occasion requires. For the purpose of enabling the occupant of the traveling car 20 to regulate the speed of travel of the car upon the cable. a suitable brake de ice is provided, which is herein shown in the form of a bracket 34 mounted to swing upon the axis of the pulley 25 and provided with a friction roller 35 and connected with a trolley cord or cable 36 extending into the car, whereby the cable 5 may be frictionally engaged and also pressed into contact with a friction surface 37 on the trolley, thus controlling the speed of travel of the car, as desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a traveling vehicle, a drum thereon, a cable adapted to unwind from the drum and having a weighted end, means for dropping the weighted end of the cable from the traveling vehicle, a car adapted to travel upon the dropped portion of the cable, and means for supporting the car in position upon the vehicle and releasing it for travel upon the cable.

2. In combination with a movable vehicle, adrum or reel thereon, a cable adapted to unwind therefrom and having a weighted end, a holder for the weighted end of the cable, means for locking the holder in retaining position and releasing it to drop the weighted end of the cable upon the ground. a car adapted to travel upon the dropped portion of the cable, and means for supporting the car upon the vehicle and releasing it for travel upon the cable.

3. In combination, a travelin vehicle, a cable adapted to be launched therefrom, a car adapted to travel upon the launched cable, and means for holding the launched portion of the cable from movement as the cable pays out while the vehicle is in motion.

4. In combination, a traveling vehicle, a tilting receptacle upon the vehicle, a cable having a weighted end disposed in said receptacle, means for holding the said receptacle in retaining position and releasing it to drop the weighted end of the cable, a reel from which the cable is adapted to unwind, a car adapted to travel upon the launched cable, and means for supporting the car in position upon the vehicle and releasing it for travel upon the cable.

5. In. combination, a traveling vehicle, a casing thereon, a reel within said casing, a cable adapted to unwind from the reel and having the free end extending outwardly from the casing, anchoring weights upon the free end of the cable, a tilting retainer for holding the weighted end of the cable in position, means for holding and releasing said tilting retainer, a car provided with a trolley to run upon the launched portion of the cable, suspending and locking means upon the vehicle for supporting the car thereon, means for releasing the car for travel upon the cable, and a brake device for regulating the speed of travel of the car along the cable. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. BOWMAN. l/Vitnesses PALMER TENNANT, D. ELMER WOLF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

